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The Merchant Shipping (Prevention and Control of Pollution) (Fees) (Amendment) Regulation 2007 will allow the Government to recover the cost for survey and certification services arising from the implementation of the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution) Regulation.
The Secretary for Transport and Housing made the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution) Regulation in July to implement the international standard of emission from ships which was passed by the International Maritime Organisation. The regulation stipulates that survey and certification will be required for specified ships of 400 gross tonnage or above.
The Government will table a consequential amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Prevention and Control of Pollution) (Fees) Regulation in the Legislative Council on November 21 to cover the relevant survey and certification services when the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution) Regulation comes into effect.
While the Marine Department will authorise Classification Societies to carry out the relevant survey and certification, ship operators may request government surveyors to provide the same service. It is thus necessary to make consequential amendments to the Merchant Shipping (Prevention and Control of Pollution) (Fees) Regulation to include these specified services.
A spokesperson for the Transport and Housing Bureau said today (November 14) that the objective of the Merchant Shipping (Prevention and Control of Pollution) (Fees) (Amendment) Regulation 2007 was to provide the Government with the legal backing to recover the cost for providing the services. ¡§The level of charges proposed are the same as those currently charged for similar services prescribed in another piece of subsidiary legislation for prevention of pollution from ships,¡¨ the spokesperson said.
Because of the implementation of five-day week in the Marine Department since January this year, it is necessary to amend the existing regulation to reflect the extended office hours on Mondays to Fridays.
The Government will publish the Merchant Shipping (Prevention and Control of Pollution) (Fees) (Amendment) Regulation 2007 in the Gazette on Friday (November 16) and table it in the Legislative Council on November 21 for negative vetting.
Ends/Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:01
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